Trolley.



No. 732,145.y

PATENTED -JUNE.30. 1903.

J. H. WALKER.

TROLLEY APPLIU'ATION FILED Nov. 2o, 1902.

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PATENTED .TUNE 30, 1903. J. H. WALKER.

TROLLEY.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. zo, 1902.

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UNTTED STATESA Patented J' une 30, 1903.

JOHN HENRY WALKER, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 7 32,145, dated J' une 30, 1903.

Application filed November 20,1902. Serial No. 132,104. (No model.)

ping immediately1 alongside said wheel, andV for securing a more eifective conduction of the current from the wheel and along the pole; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a plan view of a trolley harp and wheel provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the guardfinger and its supporting-ring. Fig. 4: is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the harp and wheel. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the front end of one of the prongs. Fig. Gis a detail perspective view of one of the end nuts. Fig. 7 is adetail perspective view of one of the bearing-screws. Fig. Sis a detail perspective view of one of the contact-plugs. Figs. 9 and 11 are detail perspective views of the sections of the boxing. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the spring for closing 'the opening `for the inlet of oil. Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the wheel-shaft; and Figs. 15 and 14 illustrate in section and elevation a somewhat different construction from that shown in Figs. 2 and 6 to 12, inclusive.

In carrying out my invention I employ a trolley-wheel A, which may be of any approved design and which fits on the middle portion B of a shaft BN. This shaft B may be of steel or other suitable material and has at its center a slightly-enlarged portion or boss at Bl, on which the wheel A may be secured by hydraulic pressure or otherwise, as may be desired. The wheel A may be of copper or suitable composition and forms a copper contact at C' with a conductor C, which is secured Within the bore b of the shaft B, the shaft B being bored from end to end, as shown in Fig. 2 and a copper plug C being j of the shaft B.

fitted therein and having a branch C' projecting through an opening b in the boss B In practice the branch C' is preferably formed to project slightly beyond the surface of the boss B', so that the wheel when forced on the boss B' by hydraulic or other pressure will form a wiped contact with the projecting portion C of the copper plug, thus producing a practically perfect union with the plug and increasing the conductivity of the joint betweenthe wheelAand the cop- Aper plug in the shaft, as will be understood from Figs. 12 and 2 of the drawings.

By the described construction I provide a shaft for the wheel, support the wheel thereon, and secure an efficient conduction between the wheel and shaft, as desired. The ends of the bore b of the shaft are threaded to receive the bearing-screws D, which are of copper and thread intothe ends of the shaft B and directly into contact with the opposite ends of the plug C, as shown in Fig. 2. These screws D project a short distance from the ends of the shaft B and journal in the contact-plugs E, which are pressed into the openings in the opposite ends of the devices F for supporting the wheel-shaft and form a contact withV said devices F at their outer edges, as shown at E, and contact at their inner edges'atdil2 with the screws D, which turn in the said plugs, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

As shown and preferred, the devices F for supporting the shaft of the wheel A are 1ubricating-boxes composed of inner sections F and outer sections F2, the outer section F2 having a cup F3 rabbeted at its open edge f3, an opening F4, through which oil may be introduced, and a spring F5, secured at f5 in the cup F3 (see Fig. 2) and pressing at its `free edge outwardly against the inner side of slot II' of the harp-prong H and is threaded' at G to receive the end nuts I. (See Fig. 6.) The inner section F of the oil-box has an end plate f to fit in the rabbet f3, and a tubular portion f2, which fits at its extremity f4 in a IOO Figs. 1 and l2 of the drawings.

The tubular portion f2 of the section F of the boxing forms a bearing in which turns the shaft B, as will be understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the contact-plugs E may be pressed firmly in against the ends of the shaft B,`as shown in the said Fig. 2.

The outer plates of the boxings are notched at .I to receive the ends of the branches K of the conductor-wire K for the passage of thecurrent from the wheel A to the motor on the car. These branches K' it against the inner sides of the harp-prongs and at their ends in the notches J in the outer ends of the supporting devices F for the trolley-wheel shaft and form electrical connections with said devices F, which through the medium of the copper contact-plugs E and the screws D connect with the contact-plug C in the wheel-shaft, such plug being in electrical contact with the wheel, as before described.

The harp has its prongs H provided at their free ends with the slots H and adjacent thereto withthe openings H2, and the tubular extensions G of the devices F for supporting the wheel-shaft fit in said slots and also within the central openings L of the rings L2 of the guard-iingers L and receive at their threadedends G' the end nuts I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Theguard-fingers L are provided at their inner ends with rings L2, which encircle the tubular extensions H and have studs Z2, which project into the openings H2 in the harpprongs, the ring being provided at L2 with a rib which fits in the slot H of the prong H and prevents the finger L from turning, and such Iinger L projecting inwardly toward its point L with such point lying close to the surface of the wheel and the nger sloping thence outwardly in such position as to prevent the trolley-wire from coming in contactl with the boxes which support the wheelshaft.

The harp-prongs H are connected at h by a screw M, having a head M at one end and receiving a nut M2 at its other end, by adju sting which the free ends of the harp-prongs maybe caused to bearwith greater or less tension on the opposite ends of the boxes F,4

as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

By the described construction it will be seen I secure ample conduction for the current between the trolley and the motor by means of the wire K, whose branches K connect with the supporting devices F of the wheel-shaft, which boxes may, like the plugs E and screws E2, be made of copper or suitable composition having a high degree of conductivity and tending to establish communication between the plugs C and the wires by which the current is conducted between the wheel and the motor, thus avoiding any heating of the trolley-,pole and any injury to the trolley-wheel because of the failure to carry off the current and also aid in securing high power and speed, as desired.

In Figs. l3 and 14 I illustrate a somewhat different construction in which the shaft l for the wheel is supported on a rod 2, which is supported in a bearing-block 3, which projects outwardly through a slot 4 in the harp 5 and receives the end nut 6, the `finger '7 having its ring 8 interlocked by means of a stud, such as Z2, (shown in Fig. 3,) and the lug L3 (shown in the same gure) with the harp-prong and being secured bythe nut 6, as shown. In this construction the wheel turns on the shaft 1, which is supported on and fixed to the rod 2, and it will be noticed that the guard-finger 7 has its ring interlocked with the harp-prong and'secured in such interlocking engagement by the end nut 6, threaded on the end of the tubular extension of the devices for supportingthe'wheelshaft, in somewhat similar manner tothat carried out in the construction shown inv Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improvement in trolleys herein described comprising the harp having its prongs provided with end slots and adjacent thereto with openings for the studs of the finger-rings, the fingers projecting at their points adjacent to the wheel and having the rings'provided with lugs tting in the slots of the prongs `and with studs-fittingin the openings adjacent to said slots, the wheel, the-wheel-shaft having a bore and an opening leading thence to lthe surface of the shaft and the copper plug in said bore and having a branch projecting in said opening to the surface of the shaft in contact with the wheel, the supporting devices having bearings for the shaft and outwardlyprojecting tubular portions projecting through the slots in the prongs and the openings in the finger-rings, the end nuts on said tubular extensions and adjusted against loo the finger-rings, the contact-plugs fitting in wheel-shaft and having outwardly-projecting tubular extensions fitting in the slots of the harp-prongs, the fingers projecting at their points adjacent to the wheel and having rings fitting around the tubular extensions of the wheel-supporting devices, and also provided with lugs fitting in the slots of the harpprongs, and the end nuts on the tubular extensions and securing the same and the rings of the fingers substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the wheel,the wheelshaft having a bore for the copper plug and an opening leading therefrom to the surface l of the shaft for the branch of said plug and the copper plug fitting in the wheel-shaft and having a branch projecting through the opening in the shaft to the surface thereof in position to contact with the wheel applied to the said shaft substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the harp-prongs having end slots, the wheel and its shaft, the devices having bearings for the wheel-shaft and tubular extensions projecting into the slots of the harp-prongs, the guard-fingers interlocking with the harp-prongs, and the end nuts engaging with the tubular extensions of the wheel-supporting devices and operating to secure the guard-finger rings in interlocking engagement with the harp-prongs substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the wheel and its axle having a contact-plug provided with the portion contacting with the wheel, said shaft also having end openings leading to the contactplug, the devices for supporting the Wheel having a bearing for the shaft, the contact-plugs fitting in said supporting devices, and the screws fitting in the contact-plugs and extending into contact with the contactplug in the shaft substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the wheel, its shaft having a contact-plu g provided with a branch leading into contact with the wheel, the boxes having bearings for the wheel-shaft and outwardly projecting tubular extensions, the

contact-plugs fitting in said boxes, the screws projecting through said plugs into the ends of the shaft and into contact with the contactplug therein and the harp-prongs supporting the tubular extensions of the boxes, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the wheel, its shaft, a contact-plug in the shaft and provided with a branch leading into contact with the wheel, contact-screws projecting into the ends of the shaft and into contact with the plug therein, contact-plugs receiving the said screws, and the bearing devices for the wheel-shaft having a tubular portion in which the contactplugs are fitted substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the wheel and its shaft of the harp, devices carried by the harp and provided with bearings for the wheelshaft and with notches for the branches of the conductor-Wire, and the conductor-Wire having branches fitting at their ends in the notches of the bearing devices for the wheelshaft substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the wheel, its shaft, the contact-plug in the shaft and provided with the branch leading to the wheel, the screws projecting into the ends of the shaft and into contact with the contact-plug therein, the contact-plu gs receiving the said screws adjacent to the ends of the shaft, the bearing devices for the shaft having portions receivin g the contact-plugs and provided with outwardlyextending tubular portions, the harp-prongs having end slots receiving said tubular extensions,the nut and screw whereby the harp-prongs may be adj usted to bear with more or less tension against the device for supporting the wheel-shaft, and the conductor-wire having branches leading into contact with the said supporting devices substantially as set forth.

` J OHN HENRY WALKER. Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMoN, PERRY B. TURPIN. 

